I, for one, was encouraged by Ricky

[PressCoverage]

yes, i know he only gained 8 yards on 5 carries...

but i really was content with Ricky last night... what i was most closely watching and most concerned with going in was how much of a batterer he would be, even if he wasn't necessarily trying ... as tentative as he might have been on some plays, i definitely saw a few linebackers bounce off him... and that is an encouraging start to his return after 20 months, no doubt...

i feel he missed busting one run off left guard that was definitely there, but overall, the things i was most worried about are alleviated... there was a juicy suddenness with his first move that made me feel confident that he'll be fine...

he tripped on that checkdown route to the right (probably overexcited on the turf), and that was unfortunate... especially because i was interested to see if he'd lower the boom on the approaching LB...

the results weren't there, but Ricky looks fine, physically, to me...

 

[PressCoverage]

((PS: no ricky on the dolphins' madden roster , but Ronnie is strong... ))

 

[edsta74]

Ricky looked fine physically, but stll needs to add a few pounds. Unfortunately, if Houck doesnt work his magic with this Oline, None of our RB's will have a great year.

 

[inFINSible]

He looked weak to me.
He got straight up stopped by an ARM tackle on one run up the middle. (I'll find it later when I review the game)
He showed none of the power that made him who he was.

 

[PressCoverage]

He looked weak to me.
He showed none of the power that made him who he was.

but he was -- more often than not -- that very same way in 2003 when the blocks weren't there... unable to get rolling downhill, like many power backs running behind poor blocking...

Ricky needs a blocking pattern to develop, not overcome a jailbreak and just expect the power to be there...

 

[inFINSible]

but he was -- more often than not -- that very same way in 2003 when the blocks weren't there... unable to get rolling downhill, like many power backs running behind poor blocking...

Ricky needs a blocking pattern to develop, not overcome a jailbreak and just expect the power to be there...

Yeah, the line has a lot of work to do but, he averaged 3.2 a carry in 2003....and about 1.5 a carry last night.....and he looked weak doing it.

I know those numbers aren't set in stone but they're the only ones we have to go by...I won't play the "what if " with you...

 

[poppy]

The numbers he put up last night were basically the same ones he put up in the preseason in 2002 and 2003. And that was when he was "Uber Ricky". We're not going to truly see what Ricky can do until Oct/Nov. Hopefully by that time he will have added some bulk to his frame.

 

[inFINSible]

The numbers he put up last night were basically the same ones he put up in the preseason in 2002 and 2003. And that was when he was "Uber Ricky". We're not going to truly see what Ricky can do until Oct/Nov. Hopefully by that time he will have added some bulk to his frame.

hopefully....good point too.

 

[Scrap]

I think 8 weeks from now he'll be much improved.

 

[Syra39]

I must admit that RW looked light to me. The O-line is a work in progress and needs alot of it. That said, Ricky looked alittle rusty, but you can still see the talent there. Saban knows what he has with ricky and wasn't going to leave him in there to get battered. The other backs were the question marks and got the most work.